AD2863 Sustainable Urban Planning and Design Studio 2.1- Urban Ecologies 22.5 credits

The studio-based course will give participants an insight into design strategies and processes for urban transformation. Participants will gain an understanding of discourses in urban planning and design in relationship to urban theory. The seminars will address representations of urban spaces, urban and architectural methods, strategies, and specific case studies. Developing knowledge through research and fieldwork, students will gain a broad understanding of the complex economic, political, social, environmental and physical forces that influence urban growth and development.

The project work will be directed towards tackling a complex social issue, such as social segregation, the relation between virtual and physical space, or the role of urban space in contemporary society. Students will be trained to develop concrete, functional and architecturally expressive solutions in response to that issue.

The learning methods will be field studies and research into various urban areas, within different environments, of a chosen city. Analysis will be performed through extended site observations, official aims documents, and archival research concerning technical/architectural drawings and historical documents. Emphasis will be placed on the ability to understand and describe the material and social conditions of existing urban spaces; such an ability is seen as a prerequisite for proposing transformed or new spatial organisation and design processes. Lectures, seminars and literature studies will run parallel to the design assignments, providing a theoretical or conceptual framework.

The aim of this studio-based course is to give a deeper knowledge of and ability to work with urban planning and design strategies, and establish a broad understanding of the complex economic, political, social, environmental, and physical forces that influence urban growth and development. The course will give participants an insight into the intricate dialogues around the problem formulation, research process, and design proposal on contemporary transformations of the urban environments. Students will be able to formulate a comprehensive proposal taking into consideration the complex ecological systems that play an important role in the definition of a territory, and will be able to work with non-human actors and perspectives as integrated aspects of their strategies.

- Bachelor degree in architecture, landscape architecture, or urban planning and design.

-  the previous study should include at least 30 ECTS in an art or design field.

In this interdisciplinary project, a number of places will be given to students from adjacent disciplines.

Bachelor degree in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, or Physical Planning and the acceptance to the program through a portfolio. In admittance, priority will be given to students who participated in Studio 1.1 and Studio 1.2.

For external students:

• A completed Bachelor Degree in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, or Physical Planning.

• Documented proficiency in English B or equivalent.

If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.

• PRO1 - Project, 8.5 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
• PRO2 - Project, 8.5 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
• SEM1 - Seminars, 1.5 credits, grading scale: P, F
• ÖVN1 - Orientation Project, 3.0 credits, grading scale: P, F
• ÖVN2 - Group Exercise, 1.0 credits, grading scale: P, F

Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.

The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.

Students need to fulfil the following requirements in order to receive a pass (E):

• active participation in seminars (3.5 cr.)

• design project examination PRO1: individual and / or group design resolutions (7.5 cr.)

• design project examination PRO2: individual and / or group design resolutions (11.5 cr.)

Assessment and grading (A–F) take into account both designed resolutions, written, and oral achievements throughout the course on a holistic basis. The academic quality of the individual projects influences grading to 70%, but the student's efforts and ambitions to tackle a perhaps difficult subject matter is taken into full consideration. Grading is consistent with the criteria set by Biggs, J (2003) Teaching for Quality Learning at University. Second Edition (The Open Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press, p 193).

Jaime Montes Bentura

• All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
• In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
• In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.

Further information about the course can be found on the Course web at the link below. Information on the Course web will later be moved to this site.